Cat's Cradle
by StBridget
Summary: When a mama cat takes shelter under a house with her kittens, she never dreams what's in store. The Whole Kitten Caboodle from Selkie's POV. Pet verse.


**Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and it's creators.  
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 **Since I did Welcome to the Junglle from Ninja's POV and Savior from Bullet's, bswindle20 wanted one from Selkie's. So, here it is. The ending is a little abrupt, because New Places New Faces picks up from there.**

The cat nosed at the mesh on the vent on the side of the house. Yes, she could fit. Maybe this was the place. She crawled in a looked around. It was dry and clean, mostly devoid of spiders, centipedes, and other pests. Yes, this would do nicely. Much better than her present hiding spot.

The cat went back to the bush she'd been living under. Four squirming, mewling bundles greeted her. They were just a few days old, so their eyes and ears were still closed, and they weren't walking. The cat was concerned about neighborhood dogs and people here—the bush wasn't nearly hidden enough. Plus, it provided very little shelter from the frequent rainstorms.

The cat picked up the first kitten and carried it to the new place, then returned for the others. Once the kittens had all been transported, the cat settled down to nurse them. She was skinny and malnourished, so she didn't have much milk, but she was determined to take the best care of them she possibly could. This new hiding space was a good start.

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The man showed up the next morning. The cat could see his boots stop outside her hiding place, and he bent down to peer in. She placed herself protectively in front of her kittens and scooted as far back in the corner as she could, hoping he wouldn't see her. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. It's okay, I won't hurt you. Look, I've got food for you."

The cat saw the man place something in front of the hole. She couldn't see it, but it smelled delicious. She was soooooo hungry; she'd had nothing but scraps from garbage cans and the occasional rodent in she didn't know how long. Still, she hesitated. She didn't know the man's intentions. It could be a trap. The cat had almost been caught in some of those—tempting treats set just out of reach in a box that would snap closed behind her, trapping her and separating her from her kittens. No way was she going to let that happen.

The man moved away, leaving the dish of food. The cat waited a few minutes, but the man didn't return. She moved slowly to the hole and sniffed cautiously. The food was still there, and she didn't smell or see anything alarming. She looked around. She could see the man, but he was sitting far off on the beach, well away from the house. The cat hesitantly moved to the dish and took a tiny bite. Nothing happened. It was as good as she'd imagined. Hungrily, she gobbled it down, heedless of the man watching from afar.

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The man returned every day with food. The cat noticed him creeping gradually closer, but he never made any move towards her, and after the first few times, she ignored him. The cat's stomach stopped rumbling, and her dirty fur started to take on a shine again. She had plenty of milk, and the kittens were plump and healthy. Soon, they were walking, nosing around their home, then venturing outside. The cat kept a watchful eye on them to make sure they didn't go far and didn't encounter any predators. She saw the man watching, closer than she'd like, but again, he never made a move towards them, so she decided he was probably safe.

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One night, the kittens followed their mother out while she ate her dinner. They were starting to show some interest in the solid food, but they still preferred to nurse. So, they scampered about while the cat ate. She kept a watchful eye on them, warily eying the man only twenty feet away.

The kittens didn't seem to share her wariness of the man. The black one paraded up to him and meowed for attention. The man picked him up and held him carefully, stroking his fur. The cat tensed, waiting to see what would happen, poised for fight-or-flight, waiting to either rush in and protect her kitten or flee for her life.

The kitten meowed again. The man held it out to her. She approached cautiously, afraid it was a trap, but the man just continued holding the kitten. The kitten seemed to be happy, purring loudly. The cat touched her nose to it, reassuring it, and herself, that all was well.

The man held out a hand to her. The cat backed up, but the man made no further move. She longed for affection, to be touched and petted. Maybe this man would provide it. She slowly approached, sniffing his hand, then rubbing tentatively against it. The man didn't move, holding still and letting her take the initiative. She rubbed harder against his hand, purring softly, a sound she'd never expected to hear herself make again.

The man stood up, still holding the kitten, and the cat tensed again. He moved towards the house with her kitten. Oh, no! Where was he going? She couldn't let him take her baby! The cat hesitated for a second. Should she go after the man or stay and protect her other kittens? They were still scampering in the grass, seemingly in no danger, so the cat hurried after the man.

The man paused on the porch, hand on the door, kitten still in his grasp, then turned and went towards what appeared to be a large cage. The cat was frightened, afraid she was about to be trapped, but it was big, though not as big as the space under the house, and had a perch in the middle and a ledge around the edges, and what looked to be a big, soft bed in a corner. The cat looked longingly at it. It looked soooooooo comfy, and she'd never had a bed before.

The man set the kitten down in the cage, backing up and leaving the door open. The cat watched as her baby explored his surroundings, circling the perimeter and nosing into every corner. He looked safe and content, but the cat had to make sure. Step by step she approached the cage. Once inside, her kitten came to meet her. She licked it affectionately to reassure both it and herself.

The cat heard a latch click and started, looking around. The door to the cage was shut. She was trapped! She looked around, but there was no place to run. She backed into a corner and hissed, but the man paid her no attention.

Other than having the door shut, nothing happened. Her kitten was still happily exploring. The cat watched him for a while, then joined him. From the corner of her eye, she watched the man leave. She wondered where he was going, and if her other kittens were safe, but she couldn't do anything about it. She watched the kitten finish its explorations and lie on the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. She lay down next to it, curling protectively around it, keeping guard. It was hard not to fall asleep herself, though. The bed was just as comfy as she imagined it, and she wanted nothing more than to sink down into it and sleep. But she couldn't—she had to protect her baby and find some way to get back to the others.

Soon, the man returned, and the cage door opened. The cat thought about making a run for it, but the man was blocking the exit. She curled tighter around the kitten and hissed, but the man paid her no mind. He bent down and placed something on the floor. It immediately scampered towards her. It was another kitten! She ran up to it and touched noses, then licked it thoroughly to make sure it was okay. Soon, the man returned with another kitten, then the last one. The cat licked them all and watched from the bed as they explored.

The man bustled about, blocking the sides of the cage with wood. The cat was frightened and backed into a corner, standing protectively in front of her kittens while he hammered away. Nothing happened, though. Eventually, the man went into the house, the kittens settled down on the bed for a nap, and after waiting to make sure there were no threats about to appear, the cat joined them.

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The cat was awakened some time later by the feeling that someone—some _thing_ was watching her. She didn't get a sense that it was threatening, but there was definitely something somewhere nearby observing. The cat looked around. She noticed a shape in the window next to the cage. She hopped up on the ledge and peered at the shape. It was another cat! The cat tensed, ready to flee, but she realized the cat on the other side couldn't get to her. She looked at it curiously. It was large and black and hissed at her, arching its back and baring its fangs. She didn't feel threatened, though—she could tell it was mostly posturing. The cat meowed in response.

The cat behind the window kept up its hissing for a bit, but finally gave up when it became clear the cat wasn't going to move. The black cat touched its nose tentatively to the window, clearly wanting to make amends. She pressed her nose up against the glass. A truce was declared.

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The next morning, the cat woke up from a sound sleep—the best sleep she'd ever had, completely free from the fear of danger—when the man opened the cage. This time, she felt no desire to run. Why should she? She had everything she ever desired—food, space to run about (even if it wasn't very big), things to climb, and a lovely, soft place to sleep. Plus, her kittens were nestled, warm and secure, against her.

The man placed a dish of food down and waited. The cat went up to the food, but before eating, she nudged the man's leg. He bent down and scratched her head. It felt soooooooo good. She could get used to this.

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The cat's new, idyllic world was shattered later that day when she was picked up and shoved in a small, hard container. And where were her kittens? She could hear them nearby, but she couldn't get to them. She meowed loudly in protest, demanding to be let out. She should have known it was too good to last!

The man picked up the carrier and placed the cat in what appeared to be a large vehicle. She heard the engine and sensed the motion. She didn't like this at all. Where was she going? She yowled loudly to make her feelings known, but the man just turned up the radio to drown her out. The only consolation was she could hear her kittens nearby. Maybe at least they wouldn't be taken from her.

The engine stopped, a door slammed, and the cat was left alone, the only sounds her kittens scampering about. At least they were free. The door opened again and she was lifted out and carried some place. She didn't like the smell. There were sharp chemicals and an underlying odor of sickness and death. The cat hoped she wasn't going to be left here to die.

After what seemed like an eternity, the carrier was opened. The cat could sense the man nearby, along with another human. No one seemed like they were about to hurt her, though. Cautiously, she stuck her head out. When nothing happened, she slowly eased out the rest of the way.

Immediately, the new person—a woman—swooped down and picked her up. The cat yowled and dug her claws into the woman's flesh, leaping away and darting under the bench in the bright, white room she found herself in. The woman reached in, but the cat scooted further back and hissed. The woman withdrew her hand. "Why don't you see if you can get her, Commander?" the cat heard.

Commander? Was that the man's name. Yes, Commander McGarrett; she'd heard the woman call him that now that the cat thought about it. She liked him. Even though he'd stuck her in that box and brought her here, she trusted him, trusted him with her kittens, knew instinctively he wouldn't hurt any of them.

Commander McGarrett bent down and held out his hand. The cat hissed a couple of times, still afraid she'd be snatched up, but she calmed when the Commander made no further move toward her. Eventually, she sniffed his hand and he began to pet her. "Can I pick you up?" he asked softly.

The cat just kept rubbing his hand and purring. She saw the Commander reach down and wrap his arms around her. She tensed and squirmed a bit, but he just drew her to his chest and murmured at her. The cat was frightened, but let him hold her, trusting him not to hurt her.

The Commander placed her on a scale and kept murmuring while the woman made some adjustments and read the output. Then, the Commander picked her up again. He held her while the woman stuck something in her rear. The cat let out a yowl of protest but didn't leap away. Even with these indignities, she felt safe in the Commander's arms, safer than she had with any human before.

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After more poking and prodding by another woman, the cat was placed back in the carrier and back in the vehicle. Now where was the Commander taking her? When the car stopped, she was picked up and carried inside another place. This one didn't smell like the other, though. It smelled nice. It smelled like the Commander, and another cat (probably the black one from last night), and faintly of someone else and—wait, was that a dog? The cat looked around, but didn't see any dog, so she relaxed. It probably didn't live here, given the faintness of the scent.

The Commander placed the cat in another enclosure, smaller and shorter, but with another soft bed. The cat immediately made for it and curled up. Ahhh, this was the life. She could even handle a few indignities if she got to enjoy this every day. But once again, her kittens were missing.

The cat listened closely and heard the Commander climb what had to be a set of stairs, faint rustling and mewling letting her know the kittens were with him. The cat was a little concerned, but the noises weren't frightened ones, so she decided to trust the Commander.

The cat curled up on the bed, and soon heard the Commander's footsteps. She tensed, afraid she'd be put in that awful carrier again, but he didn't come any closer. He held out a hand to her, and the cat cautiously approached. She rubbed against him, relaxing, allowing him to stroke her. Then, out of the blue, the Commander grabbed her. Damn! She'd let herself be tricked again! When would she learn? Still, despite being shut in two pens and a carrier, driven in a car (twice) and poked and prodded, the Commander had shown her nothing but kindness. He stroked her some more, and the cat relaxed.

The Commander carried her upstairs and put her in a cold, tiled room. It didn't smell of sickness and death, though. It smelled clean, though the air was heavy and wet. Her kittens were there, and the cat rubbed noses and licked them all. They were wet, but they, too, smelled clean. Much better than the dust and stench of garbage.

Then, the Commander grabbed her again. This time, the cat was dumped in a cold, slick tub. She tried to scramble out, but she couldn't find purchase. The Commander pet her until she calmed down, then poured water over her. She really needed to quit falling for that, but she was soooooooo starved for affection, and even after he did things to her, he always pet her again. Still, she wasn't going to let him get away with it this time. He reached for her and the cat snarled and lashed out, feeling great satisfaction when her claws connected with his flesh. It didn't matter, though. The Commander overpowered her, scrubbed her with something, then dumped more water over her. Then, he lifted her out.

The cat shot behind the toilet, seeking shelter the only place available. She scrunched herself as far back as possible, hoping the Commander couldn't get to her. He didn't even try. He just set out a few delicious smelling tidbits and backed off. Cautiously, the cat crept out and grabbed one of the treats. Mmmmmm. This was even better than the food. She grabbed another one. The Commander approached, and the cat eyed him warily but didn't retreat. The treats were too good to pass up. When she finished, the cat figured the Commander deserved thanks, so she rubbed against him. Besides, she was hoping he would pet her again. The Commander was happy to oblige.

The Commander carried the cat back downstairs and put her back in the pen. She decided maybe he wasn't going to take her away again, and her kittens seemed safe upstairs, so she decided to indulge in a nap.

The cat had just settled down when she heard the Commander approach. Maybe she'd gotten comfortable too soon. What was he going to do now? The footsteps stopped in front of the pen, and the Commander set something down. She smelled another cat. She opened her eyes to see the black cat from the night before. Oh, him. He wasn't a threat. He hissed and arched his back at her, but she just blinked. He was all bluster; she knew he wouldn't hurt her. Soon, he lost interest and stalked away.

The Commander disappeared upstairs again, and soon came down with the black kitten. He held it out to the other cat, and the mama cat looked on anxiously. The other cat sniffed her kitten, and the kitten mewled, but the other cat made no other move towards the kitten. The Commander set the kitten down next to the other cat. The kitten immediately started trying to suckle at the other cat. The mama cat was worried. What would happen now? She was afraid the other cat would smack the kitten away or hurt him, but the cat just looked startled. The Commander chuckled and picked the kitten up. He set it down next to the mama cat, and the kitten began to nurse. The mama cat relaxed. Maybe she and her kittens and the other cat could all get along.

One by one, the Commander brought the other kittens down, and they all settled in to nurse. The other cat came up to the edge of the pen and watched curiously. The mama cat eyed him warily, but he didn't do anything, so neither did she. When it was done nursing, the black kitten bounded up to the other cat, rubbing against him. Once again, the mama cat waited for the other cat to do something, but he just looked startled.

Soon, the other kittens followed the black one and began crawling all over the other cat. The mama cat was sure the other cat would do something to them. She went to the edge of the pen and meowed, trying to figure out the other cat's intentions. He just meowed back. Satisfied, the mama cat watched her kittens play, glad they were having fun. Eventually, the kittens got tired and came back to the bed for a nap. The other cat walked calmly away. The mama cat settled down with her kittens, now confident nothing bad would befall them. It was the first time she'd felt like that in a long time. It was a very good feeling indeed.

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The next morning, the Commander got up, fed the cat, put her in the cage outside, and left, leaving her and her kittens. A few hours later, he came by, petted them all, then left again. The cat wondered if this was how it was going to be, if she'd never see inside the house again. She hoped she would. She liked it in there—nothing could get to her, and she was away from the elements. This was still better than under the house, though. The cat decided not to worry.

As the sun was setting, the Commander came back. Another man was with him. She recognized the other scent she'd smelled in the house. He smelled strongly of dog, but there didn't appear to be a dog with him. She meowed curiously, wanting to know who he was.

"So, these are the mangy furballs you just had to rescue," he said. She meowed again. She didn't like the sound of that. Still, it was said in a mild tone, so maybe he didn't mean anything by it.

"Yeah," the Commander said. "Danny, meet Mama Cat,"-that must be her, and Danny must be the other man-"NJ, Tiger, Tabby, and Sylvia" Those must be the kittens. Mama Cat pondered the names. They'd do, she supposed. She didn't need names for them, but names meant someone cared enough to call them something other than, well, mangy furballs.

Danny chuckled. "Leave it to you to take in all the strays in the neighborhood, Steve." Steve? That must be another name for the Commander. Mama Cat liked that better.

"I told you," Steve said defensively, "someone has to look after them! They'd die on their own!" Mama cat meowed her agreement. She knew their chances weren't very good without Steve's kindness. Dying was a very, very bad thing. This was much better.

Steve changed the subject. "Help me get them inside. It's supposed to rain tonight, and I don't want them to get wet." Inside? Mama Cat perked up at that. Yeah, she liked inside.

"Won't Ninja object?" Danny asked. Ninja must be the other cat, Mama Cat decided.

"He was fine last night," Steve said. "I keep them in Bullet's pen. Well, Mama Cat anyway. The kittens just get out through the bars."

"Bullet's pen! I suppose you're letting her use his bed, too."

Steve remained silent, instead picking up Mama Cat and thrusting her at Danny. "Here, you take Mama Cat; I'll get the kittens."

Danny held Mama Cat by the middle, paws dangling. She meowed in protest. "What am I supposed to do with her?"

"Take her inside," Steve said, as though that should be obvious. "And don't hold her like that."

"If I hold her any closer, she'll scratch me.

Tempting, very tempting. Too bad she couldn't do anything with her paws dangling.

Exasperated, Steve gathered Mama Cat in his arms and put her in Danny's. Danny just held her gingerly, clearly uncertain. Mama Cat meowed. Surely Steve wasn't going to leave her with this lunk. Clearly, he knew nothing about cats.

Steve picked up two kittens (NJ and Sylvia, Mama Cat though), and motioned Danny to follow him, which Danny did, reluctantly. He put her in the pen, sighing with relief. Mama Cat didn't blame him. She was relieved, too. She hoped he didn't pick her up again.

Steve handed Danny some treats. "Here, give her these."

Danny held out his hand uncertainly. Mama Cat sniffed and turned up her nose, but really, they were too good to resist. She finally relented and took them out of his hand. Danny stood there stiffly at first, but finally relaxed enough to stick out a hand and tentatively pet her. Mama Cat purred and rubbed against him. He wasn't as good as Steve, but he'd learn.

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The days fell into a routine. In the morning, Steve would feed Mama Cat, and then Danny would show up and they'd leave, and in the evening he and Danny would come back. Steve would feed her again, then the two men would watch TV and mostly ignore her and the kittens. Sometimes, when Steve wasn't looking, Danny would sneak Mama Cat treats and even pet her. Mama Cat liked being petted by Danny. He was gentle, tender. She liked being petted by Steve, too, but he was bigger, clumsier, and not as caring, it seemed. Mama Cat and Danny had gotten off to a rough start, but she was starting to like him.

Gradually, Steve let Mama Cat explore the rest of the house. At first, it was just when he and Danny were there. The first time Steve had let her out, she'd jumped on the couch to sit in Steve's lap, but Ninja was already there and hissed at her, so she backed off and went to sit next to Danny instead. She'd expected him to push her off, or at least protest, but he just stroked her absently and stayed focused on the TV.

After a few days, Steve let Mama Cat out while he was gone. She ventured upstairs and discovered a room with a huge bed that looked wonderfully soft, even better than the bed in the pen. She wanted to jump up on it, but once again, Ninja was already there. Maybe he would share. Mama Cat jumped up. Ninja hissed, but she stayed close to the edge, and he didn't move to attack. She settled down carefully, making sure to take up as little of the bed as possible. Ah, this felt nice. Yet another thing she could get used to. She soon learned as long as she stayed near the edge and didn't take up much room, Ninja didn't mind.

Even though she had the run of the house during the day, Mama Cat always slept in the pen at night. Most of the kittens stayed with her, but Steve would take NJ with him to bed. Mama Cat was worried the first night, and stayed awake most of the night listening for sounds of distress, but she didn't hear any, and in the morning NJ came down safe and sound and purring up a storm. After that, Mama Cat didn't mind.

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One day, Danny showed up with a little girl. She squealed and made a beeline for where Mama Cat and the kittens were curled up on the dog bed. "Oh, my God, they're so cute! Can I have one, Danno, please?"

"No, you may not." Danny held out some treats to Mama Cat, and she stopped paying attention. She sniffed at them, the started daintily eating them, one by one. She heard Steve call out the names of the kittens.

"What's the mama's name?" The girl asked.

"I just call her Mama Cat," Steve said.

"Mama Cat. What kind of name is that?" Danny scoffed. "You could at least come up with something more creative. At least Fluffy, although she isn't. Sheba maybe that sounds majestic, and let's face it," he told Mama Cat, "you're not." She ignored the insult and wound in and out of his ankles, purring as he stroked her. "Let's see," he went on, "maybe something to do with the islands. Hawaii, maybe, or Paradise. No, those aren't right." Danny addressed Mama Cat again, picking her up to cuddle her. She purred louder. "SuperSeal over there found you, so how about Seelie? No, I know, Selkie! That's it!"

Mama Cat really didn't care. Selkie was fine with her, as long as Danny kept petting her. He did.

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After that, Danny got more and more affectionate with Selkie. Instead of treats, he started bring bits of tuna for her in the morning. She loved it; she thought it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. She'd had tuna before, back when she was living on the streets, but it had always been scraps picked from the trash, smelly and half rotten. Nothing like this. Danny even started letting Selkie sit on his lap while he and Steve watched TV. She'd smirked triumphantly at Ninja the first time it happened, but he ignored her. After that, Selkie just enjoyed it.

One night, Danny stayed over. He moved Selkie aside and stretched out on the couch, covering himself with a blanket Steve had gotten. Selkie moved to jump down, but Danny stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked her. He picked her up and settled her next to him, her head tucked under his chin. Oh, she liked this. She purred happily and settled down to sleep. "Don't tell Steve," Danny admonished her just before she drifted off.

No, she wouldn't tell Steve. It would be their little secret. Snuggled up together, they both fell asleep. She could get used to this.


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